Sarah Palin is NOT a Victim!

(PLEASE SCROLL DOWN AFTER READING THIS, THE 2ND OF TWO POSTS TODAY!)
Despite her pathetic performance on the national stage thus far, there seems to be a real danger that some of the undecided voters who reacted positively to Sarah Palin's nomination—particularly women—may be inclined to support her out of sympathy or solidarity. I have heard “she didn’t know what she was getting into” from more than one person I’ve talked to this week. This article provides some "good sense" talking points to counter that view. “The Sarah Palin Pity Party” Salon.com (Rebecca Traister) http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/09/30/palin_pity/ Excerpt: “Where I come from, a woman -- and especially a woman governor with executive experience -- doesn't have to rely on any elder or any man to protect her and pull her ass out of the fire. She can make a decision all on her own. (Palin was more than happy to tell Charlie Gibson that she made her decision to join the McCain ticket without blinking.) I agree…that the McCain camp was craven, sexist and disrespectful in its choice of Palin, but I don't agree that the Alaska governor was a passive victim of their Machiavellian plotting. A very successful woman, Palin has the wherewithal to move forward consciously. What she did was move forward thoughtlessly and overconfidently, without considering that her abilities or qualifications would ever be questioned… Sarah Palin is no wilting flower. She is a politician who took the national stage and sneered at the work of community activists. She boldly tries to pass off incuriosity and lassitude as regular-people qualities, thereby doing a disservice to all those Americans who also work two jobs and do not come from families that hand out passports and backpacking trips, yet still manage to pick up a paper and read about their government and seek out experience and knowledge.”

Temperament Matters

McCain has demonstrated again and again during this campaign that he is more “diva” than “maverick” (i.e., more selfish than selfless) and it just keeps getting him into trouble. Undecided voters care about temperament. Challenge them to focus on carefully observing and evaluating his behavior. There is a lot being written on this subject this week—here are just a couple of good posts that I found:
** “Calm, Methodical Obama vs. Angry, Ungracious McCain” The Huffington Post (Amb. Richard C. Holbrooke) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amb-richard-c-holbrooke/calm-methodical-obama-vs_b_130343.html Excerpt: “The gambling, brawling style of John McCain has its attractive side to Americans, but it is not what we need in the White House in these troubled times.”
** “America Wants a President, Not a Drama Queen” The Huffington Post (Oliver Willis) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/oliver-willis/america-wants-a-president_b_129844.html Excerpt: “John McCain is... RuPaul…When [he] is not the focus of attention, he makes two snaps and screams for attention.”

For Undecideds Who Genuinely Care About Character and Family Values

Because this blog is focused exclusively on how we can influence undecided voters—most of whom CARE DEEPLY about character issues—I can no longer put off a mention of the contrast between McCain and Obama when it comes to how they conduct their family lives. I won’t recount here the details of how McCain dumped his wife (who waited for him while he was a POW) for a much younger heiress—you’ve all read/heard about that elsewhere. But the fact that Barack and Michelle are the embodiment of the “American Dream” needs more exposure. Please read and share this article with your undecided friends/relatives (especially women) whom you think may find it compelling: “The Obama Relationship: A Major Benefit Nobody’s Talking About” The Huffington Post (Kathlyn & Gay Hendricks) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathlyn-and-gay-hendricks/the-obama-relationship-a_b_128896.html Excerpt: “Imagine having a president who likes his partner and values her as an equal, a president who touches his wife affectionately in public and actually listens to her when she talks!”

"If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself."

That’s a quote from conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, a former Palin supporter. If you’re talking to undecided women who initially liked Palin but are also beginning to lose confidence in her after a series of disastrous network interviews (all three of them), it should interest them to know that even staunch conservatives are breaking ranks: “The Palin Problem: She’s Out of Her League” National Review Online http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDZiMDhjYTU1NmI5Y2MwZjg2MWNiMWMyYTUxZDkwNTE

How to Watch the Debates

Here’s an article by Hillary Clinton’s former debate analyst with great insights into what does and does not score points. UNDECIDED VOTERS ARE WATCHING THE DEBATES VERY CLOSELY! Read this and you’ll be better “armed” to discuss the debates (and anticipate objections) with undecideds. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judd-legum/how-to-figure-out-who-won_b_129605.html

Ask Undecided Voters to Turn the Sound Off and Watch Sarah Palin

When she does occasionally emerge from her cocoon and grants an interview, Sarah Palin employs a flurry of tough talk to evade the questions being put to her and to avoid actually saying anything of substance. However, her face and her gestures speak volumes. “That Look On Her Face” The Huffington Post (Jane Smiley) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-smiley/that-look-on-her-face_b_129638.html Excerpt: “Her facial expressions and her hand gestures are quite interesting because they are those of someone who knows she is bullshitting and is trying to put it over by being extra emphatic. She is full of resentment and entirely exasperated that she is not being accepted in the way she thinks of herself… When I see her talking, I can see that -- her face shows impatience with the process -- why bother, she is saying, let me just have what I want.”

The Power of Images

A compelling image to share with undecided voters.
Was McCain's "suspension" of his campaign and his call for postponement of Friday's debate a principled "nonpartisan stand" during a time of crisis, or a cynical distraction as his poll numbers were plummeting? Just look at the faces of his campaign leadership team shortly after he called for the postponement so that he could "focus on the economic crisis." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-shaw/reading-the-pictures-emha_b_129128.html